Family: How to Fight for Your Family in the Spirit

Are you claiming God’s promises for your children?

For years I have studied the powerful and edifying subject of the promises of God. There are literally thousands to be discovered and claimed. Several years ago, however, God gave me a flash of inspiration. It dawned on me that He has given a number of promises specifically concerning the sons and daughters of those who serve God.

That means your children—simply because of your faith in God—are protected by a mighty covering.

Are you living in light of this truth?

For Generations and Generations

Knowing God’s promises is essential because they give His people a basis for their faith. Once God’s promises are known, we don’t need to beg Him to do what He has already pledged to do. Instead, we can come to Him boldly, confessing His Word, fully expecting a manifestation.

Too often mothers and fathers do the opposite. They pray in desperation, begging God to move in the lives of their children. But that pleading approach went out the window forever in my life when God breathed this new insight into my spirit.

One of the first promises He led me to find was Deuteronomy 7:9, which says, “He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments” (emphasis added).

When I read those words, I shook my head in amazement. A generation, biblically speaking, is 100 years long (see Gen. 15:13-16). Doing the quick math, I calculated 1,000 generations times 100 years each—well, wow! If we sincerely walk with God in this life, then an invisible blessing will pass down through our family lines for 100,000 years. Can you imagine?

Of course, the 100-year parameter for each generation is likely not an exact figure, but a symbolic one, showing how dependable and long-lasting this promise is. But think about it. The principle still stands. Long after we’re gone, God’s covenant will hover over our offspring to empower them, and a reservoir of mercy will be there to restore them in time of need. And if that works for 1,000 generations, how much more powerful it is for the next two or three!

It was a Holy-Spirit-saturated moment that opened my eyes to the enduring impact of a life committed to God.

It’s Time to Declare the Decree

Sensing the importance of this revelation, I temporarily halted my other writing projects and began searching the Word intensely. Within several months, I had amassed 65 nuggets of gold in that mother lode—65 divinely authored commitments God makes to our children in His Word.

The following quickly became some of my favorites (with my emphasis added):

“I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live” (Deut. 30:19).

“And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you might live” (Deut. 30:6).

“I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring. They will spring up among the grass like willows by the watercourses” (Is. 44:3-4).

At a certain point, I reached a spiritual impasse. I concluded that never again would I plead for a move of God in my children’s lives. Instead, in the words of Psalm 2:7, I began to “declare the decree.”

In ancient times, after a king made a decree, he would send representatives into every corner of his domain to “declare the decree,” establishing as universal law what was initially a decision heard only by those present in the throne room. Now, because the enthroned King of all creation has decreed these 65 promises over our children, it is our responsibility to declare them—to verbally reinforce God’s laws in the natural realm, defying everything that opposes His purpose.

The Fruit of Promise

To declare the decree, I began praying prophetically. “I choose life for our family,” I proclaimed. “The death-dealing elements of this world will not destroy our children. According to God’s promise, He will circumcise their hearts—cutting away the influence of the world—and awaken within them love for Him and love for the truth. Yes, I claim it. He will pour out both His blessing and His Spirit on my seed.”

Within a few months of praying this way, my 5-year-old daughter was baptized with the Holy Spirit. After lying on the floor for about 30 minutes, crying and speaking in tongues, she fell into my arms and whispered, “Daddy, Jesus filled me—He really filled me.”

Was the timing just coincidental? I don’t think so.

Actually, my wife and I had to fight the good fight of faith just to have a family. We were told initially it was impossible for us to have children, but we prayed, and the God of Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel and Hannah did it again—He worked another miracle, healing my wife, Elizabeth, of barrenness.

Our firstborn, Zion Seth, suffered oxygen deprivation during a very traumatic birth. The attending doctors claimed it would result in serious mental and physical challenges for him, to the point where he would probably never function normally. Instead, he entered college three years ago in the top honors society on campus, and physically he has no problems.

The challenges escalated with our next pregnancy. Around the fifth month, Elizabeth went in for her normal checkup, where, with very grim looks on their faces, the doctor and his attending nurse showed us the ultrasound image, explaining that our daughter had spina bifida—a hole in her spine—and would be crippled as a result. Next, the doctor advised that our daughter would have cretinism—a type of retardation—because of a thyroid condition Elizabeth was battling. Much to our surprise, even though he knew we were committed Bible believers, he suggested we consider an “alternative.” (We knew he meant an abortion.)

Our response? We agreed never to return to his office again, but instead to rely on the Word of God!

Often during that pregnancy, we prayed Psalm 138:8 (“The Lord will perfect that which concerns me”) and Psalm 139:13 (“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb”), expecting the curse to be reversed. Then we chose a name for our daughter, prophetically calling her Destiny Hope to counteract the prognosis they gave that she would have no hope and no destiny.

It worked. At some point in the next few months, the healing took place, and Destiny was born perfectly healthy. I believe these miracles happened because we dared to believe the promises God gave in His Word.

A Demonstration of Faith

In a variety of ways and means, this is a major part of what faith is all about—each generation transferring to the next what we have received from the everlasting Father.

This is God’s perspective too. For instance, when He revealed Himself to Noah, He made a pledge that continues even to this day: “As for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you and with your descendants after you. ... Never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth” (Gen. 9:9, 11).

Moreover, when God manifested Himself to Abraham, He didn’t just foretell that the great patriarch of our faith would be a channel of God’s blessing to others. Rather, He pledged to him, “In your seed shall all nations of the earth be blessed” (Gen. 22:18)—a promise that is still unfolding in amazing ways.

Read Hebrews 11. Most of the stories in that chapter, often dubbed “Faith’s Hall of Fame,” describe the effects of faithfulness on offspring of those who walked with God—the production of the seed, the protection of the seed, the perpetuation of the seed or the transference of blessing to the seed.

They Already Belong to God

Even if your children are presently walking in darkness and refusing to acknowledge the truth you embrace, don’t give in to discouragement. If you’re a lover of God, He’s adopted your kids as His own. 

Read the following promise carefully: “Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, and gather you from the west; I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not keep them back!’ Bring My sons from afar, and My daughters from the ends of the earth—everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory; I have formed him, yes, I have made him” (Is. 43:5-7, emphasis added).

Notice God begins this passage by calling them “your descendants.” Then He commands, “Bring My sons from afar, and My daughters from the ends of the earth.” Apparently, because these children belong to you, God claims them as His own (since what belongs to you is “on the altar” and actually belongs to Him). The Redeemer promises to place His canopy of protection and provision over their lives. According to 1 Corinthians 7:14, they are even considered “holy” in the sight of heaven, separated from the world and consecrated to God’s purposes.

Though Satan and his demonic underlings constantly fight for the control of your children’s lives, God has uttered the war cry: “I will contend with him who contends with you, and I will save your children” (Is. 49:25). That settles it—you and I had better not put a question mark where God has placed a period! As far as God is concerned, it is finished. He just needs you and me to pray the prayer of agreement and then to make a commitment to wait on the Lord.

Surely by now you can sense the power that comes from knowing and confessing these promises—and not just the few mentioned in this article. You need to become well-acquainted with the promises of God for your children—all 65 of them!—and start building a spiritual “wall of fire” around your family (Zech. 2:5).

Will you join me in the proclamation of these promises over our children? Let’s see the goodness of the Lord overflow with blessing from generation to generation, for hundreds of thousands of years.

Relationship: 5 Things Your Wife Won't Tell You She Needs

I remember watching What Women Want not long after its release in 2001.

The movie chronicles a man, Nick Marshall, who receives a fresh perspective on women after a fluke accident. And by "fresh perspective," I mean he has the ability to read women's minds. Sounds fascinating, right? I thought so too.

Then I watched the movie.

Don't get me wrong, I laughed quite often. But I was also terrified. I left the theater with one of those "I just saw a ghost" looks. Totally dazed and confused. For like two hours, I vowed never to date a woman again. I would be single the rest of my life, maybe become a monk or something. Singleness would be easier than trying to figure out a woman.

Fast forward 15 years. I've been married to an amazing woman for over six years, we have two children and our marriage gets better every day. I'm still convinced women are the most beautifully complex beings on earth, but it's possible to understand what they need.

By no means do I have women (or anything else, for that matter) figured out. I'm only 30. I've only been married six years. So, I don't write as an expert. Instead, I write as a man who loves his wife and wants to know her better. If you've ever thought, "I just can't figure her out," maybe this post can be a launching pad to deeper conversations with your spouse.

Here are five things your wife won't tell you she needs:

1. Security and protection. The world is uncertain and unreliable, and your wife needs you to create a culture of stability, a place where she can rest from the world's craziness.

Your wife also wants you to protect your marriage from outside attacks. And I'm not talking about physical attacks (although, of course, that's part of it). She wants you to fight for purity. Here's an example. A man I would call my second father told this story several years ago. While living in Florida, his wife stayed at home with the kids. More days than not, she went to the beach. That's what you do in Florida. But not this man. He never went. Ever.

At this point in his story, I was puzzled. Who would choose to stay away from the beach? Sun. Sand. Sharks. What more could you want? Then he explained why, and I will never forget his words.

"At the time, I struggled with lust, and protecting the purity of our marriage meant more than a few hours of relaxation."

That's called fighting for your marriage.

The greatest threat to your marriage is, of course, Satan. So, husbands, if you want evil to stay outside, you must let Jesus in. Every day, make sure your wife knows Jesus is the most important person in your marriage.

2. Undivided attention. Husbands, your wife needs your undivided attention. She wants to feel valued. Making sure you focus on her is a huge component of feeling valued. And, guys, you need to know something about undivided attention. The word "undivided" means ... not divided.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious."

Right. But most husbands don't understand why their wife doesn't feel valued even though they sat on the couch together for three hours. Here's why. You stared at the TV or your phone most of the time while occasionally nodding your head, pretending to listen. That's called divided attention.

Guys, you're not spending quality time with her because you're in the same general area. This isn't about proximity. This is about posture and attitude. When you wife speaks, look at her. Eye contact says you're valuable.

Your wife won't tell you this, but she needs undivided attention. And she should. If you don't turn off the TV or put down the phone when your wife speaks, you're not just sending your wife a signal. You're sending yourself one. You're saying your relationship isn't important.

3. Open and honest communication. Generally speaking, guys don't want details. If I'm talking with friends, I don't care for details. If they're necessary for making a decision, by all means, give me the details. Otherwise, I only need the important stuff.

Your wife is wired differently. When she says, "How was your day?" she wants the details. "It was good" is more of a slap in the face than a sufficient response to her question. Your wife loves you, and she wants to know everything about you, even stuff you consider insignificant. But she probably won't tell you this.

Communication is the linchpin of a healthy relationship. Anytime I withhold information from Tiffani, whether I am scared of how she will respond, I want to "protect" her or I just don't have the energy to share all the details, it goes bad. The longer I'm married, the more I realize the importance of open and honest communication.

Even if openly communicating means revealing painful information, your marriage will be better off in the long run. For many years, I hid a pornography addiction from Tiffani. She discovered my addiction only when she opened my computer and stumbled across a pornographic site. I was always afraid to tell her because I didn't want to hurt her. Turns out, the wound she sustained was deeper (and took longer to heal) because she discovered it rather than me being honest with her.

Husbands, your wife (and your relationship) needs open and honest communication.

4. Help with daily tasks. Marriages don't have assigned tasks. You won't hear phrases like "that's her job" in a healthy marriage. Whether your wife stays at home or works 9-5, you should help with daily tasks. And husbands, know this: She probably won't tell you she wants help. But she does.

So, change a diaper without being asked. Fold the clothes. Clean the dishes. Maybe you're tired from work. Maybe your wife doesn't like to clean. But instead of coming home and telling her exactly how you feel, be a servant. Clean the house yourself. Pick up the dishes yourself.

Help your wife. Do so without being asked. Her respect for you will increase exponentially.

5. A break. Culture places impossible expectations on women. Your wife feels those expectations. She might be completely overwhelmed. She might feel totally inadequate. She might be exhausted, sick or hurting. But she won't tell you. And if you ask, she will probably say, "I'm fine."

Husbands, first and foremost, you should understand the weighty expectations on your wife. Be sympathetic to them. Secondly, you must look beyond the words. Don't ignore them, but don't accept them either. Watch her. Study her. When you notice her struggling, step in and give her a break. Give her permission to sit down or get out of the house.

Ask her what needs to be done, and do those things. This will not only help her, it will improve your marriage.

WHY YOU DON'T NEED TO BE A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER TO MAKE AN IMPACT

Over the past few years, an industry has emerged in Ghana especially among the youth. This has got to do with motivational/inspirational speaking. Today, the average youth wants to be involved in motivational/inspirational speaking of some sort. Here on Facebook, you will see many writing motivational pieces as an attempt to make an impact. And the oft-held fallacy is that, you make an impact as a motivational speaker. Nothing could be further from the truth. I will explain. Sadly, too, I have observed some youth resign from their jobs only to land themselves in motivational speaking all in the name of wanting to make an impact. As I observe these happenings, I like to think most of these young people venturing into motivational speaking are really not going there because that is what they were born to do, but because of the perceived popularity that comes with standing on a stage and speaking for people to see you. Or, authoring a motivational book with their faces at the back to make them popular.

The point is, and I can tell you this for a fact: most of these so-called motivational speakers make no impact. Sitting on radio or TV and having interviews, or being invited to speak at various programmes is not the measure of impact. Anyone can do that. In fact, anyone can lobby for a place on these media platforms just to make "noise" and be said to make an impact. Making impact has got nothing to do with motivational speaking. It doesn't matter what it is you are doing; be you a teacher, doctor, nurse, engineer, cleaner, etc., as long as your work somehow brings comfort to others, you are making an impact. I can't tell you how impactful the woman responsible for the sanitation of my office is to my life until I need her desperately to help with cleaning the office. When I walk into the office after cleaning, I feel fresh and focused for work. She doesn't need to resign from her work and become a speaker to know she's making an impact.

The interesting thing is, a good number of these motivational speakers are either school drop-outs because they refused to take their studies seriously and so they were booted out, or are out of school, in need of job but because hey have found nothing to do, they thought the best thing to do is to venture into motivational speaking. I am not in anyway attacking anyone or industry. I am only trying to speak the truth as raw as I could just so you know that whatever you find yourself doing, you are making an impact as long as you tune your mind to it. If you're not meant to be a motivational speaker, don't force it. Be you. Do what you are meant to do. Don't see someone jumping from one platform or the other, and because you love the popularity they enjoy, you also want to do motivational speaking. The interesting thing is to listen to these "wanna-be" motivational speakers who have no substance to deliver to their audience and yet somehow, they think they are making impact. Go, discover what you're meant to do, and do it the best way you can. Impact is not equal to popularity. You can be doing the most mundane job, and yet it is a source of comfort to many; now, that is real impact!

by 

Jonathan

This Little Thing Called Faith Faith Faith

After 4 1/2 years of employment with the bank, I’d just been fired. Relief and uncertainty followed as I gathered my belongings and headed out the door.

Later that evening, I headed off to Bible Study. Service was great. I felt renewed, rejuvenated and was ready for a new start.  Fast forward three weeks later…

The mortgage was due and my funds were low. Two weeks prior, the car broke down and my small “egg nest” had been depleted. Rewind…Three years earlier. I’d just purchased my first home. My daughter was attending private school, which meant monthly tuition payments had to be paid. Let’s not forget the car payment, utilities, and other monthly expenses.

Overwhelmed, I tried to stand firm on my faith, however I was starting to lose heart and doubt God. Although I kept quoting scriptures, in the back of my mind I kept thinking…what am I going to do? No longer could I hide the fact that I was worried.  Not wanting to alarm my daughter, I quietly slipped into the hallway to pray. 

As I sat praying, my daughter came out and sat down next to me. She gently removed my hands from over my eyes. Wiping the tears away, she wrapped her arms around me. Then she spoke something into my spirit that I shall never forget. She said, “ Don’t worry Mom, God has us”. Blew me away.  Here was my 8 year old child telling me, (a woman of faith), that we would be alright. Not only did God speak through her, but that day, He spoke through me as well. 

He told me to get up and call my former employer. But why? We had nothing to discuss. Then He lovingly reminded me that I had a week of unused vacation days. I wiped the rest of the tears away, and got up off the stairs. I hurried to the phone to call Human Resources. I was informed that I did in fact have the unused vacation days and a check would be cut and mailed. Then the Holy Spirit spoke again…

The voice on the other end replied…

“Well do you have an account with us”?

“Yes, I opened it up years ago when I set up my direct deposit”, I replied.

“Well, I can deposit the funds directly into your account”.

The amount of the deposit was $560.00 and the amount needed to cover the mortgage was $550.71. Overjoyed, I cried out to the Lord and thanked Him. I was left in awe. I cried out to Him and once again He answered my prayer. 

The Lord has answered prayers and performed many miracles in my life. The Bible states “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”.

That day, my faith was put to the ultimate test. I chose to stand in it and trust God. Was it easy? No. Was it ultimately worth it? Yes.  I urge you to stand on God’s word and His promises. He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Just as my daughter wrapped her arms around me….the Lord is there waiting to do the same for you. 

Prayer for the new week and Happy new month of February

The Lord will deliver your soul from death, your eyes from tears, and your feet from falling. The angels of the Lord shall surround you, keep and preserve you from all evil,You shall live to fulfill your destiny in Jesus mighty name. There shall be no sorrow in your life, there shall be no afflictions, and no calamity; only voice of rejoicing and good news shall be heard always in your tabernacle. The glory of God will shine upon you, the anointing for good health, success, progress, prosperity and breakthrough shall rest permanent in your life in Jesus mighty name

Deception of Indecision

Joel 3:14 "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision" (NIV).

Joshua 24:15 "If serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve ..." (NIV).

1 Kings 18:21 "Elijah came near to all the people and said, "How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him." But the people did not answer him a word" (NIV).

Romans 5:16 "Don't you realize that grace frees you to choose your own master? But choose carefully, for you surrender yourself to become a servant – bound to the one you chose to obey" (Passion Translation).

From Genesis to Revelation the Bible is riddled with the call to make a decision, to choose, and as much as we as people would rather not choose, we have to make a choice, for the days of living in the indecision are fast ending. When I lived in Malaysia, I realized how American I was when I went to the grocery store and the choices were so limited, there were only 10 cereal choices, rather than the 50 I had in the US. But when I got back from living in Malaysia for 9 years, I realized how Malaysian I had become, because I was overwhelmed by all the choices here in the U.S. The more choices you have, the more freedom you think you are given, but actually the opposite is true, the less choices you have, the easier it is to decide. Once you decide on one thing, that is where real freedom is found.

It is not freedom to be sleeping around with multiple people, that is bondage, real freedom is being married and living monogamously with one person. It is not freedom to be jumping from job to job because you get offended when you are corrected, real freedom is staying the course, running the race and learning how to live with your cubicle companions over the years. We have bought into the lie that freedom is not choosing, actually, freedom doesn't come until you make a choice. Anxiety and stress riddle people who are trying to find a house to buy, but peace comes when they finally make a decision. Freedom comes from making your choice, not from leaving your options open out of fear of making the wrong choice.

So, if freedom comes from making a decision, why are we so afraid of making a decision; why does the thought of D-Day rattle us so much? The most popular answer to this question is fear, fear of making the wrong decision. The funny thing about fear is, it keeps you from making a decision, but is nowhere to be found once the decision is made.

The Christian challenge is that we have said a prayer but we never made a decision to follow a man. We got baptized in water but we never died to ourselves. We accepted Christ but we never said no to sin. So, we have altered our beliefs to match our experience, which is why you can be a Christian and still have sin as your master; you can live for yourself and still expect to be blessed; you can say whatever you want and not reap what you have sown.

The reason most people do not pick a path is because the gate that leads to life is called death; the path that leads to perfect love is called pain. Most people want relief from their distress, but they do not want to be made whole. We see, feel, experience the consequences of indecision, but yet we do not have the strength to make a different decision.

We have become so comfortable with the bondage of indecision, when we meet someone who has made a decision, we get mad at them for they refuse to conform to our discomfort. Jesus didn't die so you could be comfortable in your contradictions, He died so you could be free from sin. The Lord will never violate your free will, the choice has been and continues to be yours.

Decision day is every day and what you decide is up to you, but I want to end by quoting Deuteronomy 30:19, "Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!" (NLT).

Lisa Great 

Plant That Kills Cancer Cells, Stop Diabetes and Boosts Your Immune System!

Goya, or otherwise known as Karela, is a “bitter-melon” fruit that has been used for health benefits in countries all over the world for a long period of time. It grows well in humid and hot climates and can be mostly found in South America and Asia. It is a common traditional medicine in China, India, Asia and some southeastern parts of US.


This healthy melon has an extremely bitter taste, and its shape resembles a bumpy cucumber. However, the natural components in it were found to be able to treat patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

To be more specific, the founder of the effects of this amazing fruit was Dr. Frank Shallenberger M.D. who specializes in Anti Aging treatments and Alternative Medicine at the Nevada Center of Alternative & Anti- Aging Medicine.

Dr. Shallenberger always advises his patients to trust nature and use natural products and substances in treating any kind of sickness. He states that this miraculous fruit inhibits cancer cell growth effectively.

Namely, according to his latest findings, a 5% solution of bitter melon juice can fight pancreatic cancer.

This fruit destroys cancer cell lines by 90 and 98% percent. Its effect was further examined at the University of Colorado, and the results showed a reduction of 64% in the size of pancreatic tumors.

Therefore, this research only confirmed the benefits and powerful action of the bitter melon. Furthermore, it also plays a great part in the treatment of skin infection, diabetes symptoms, asthma, stomach problems and hypertension.

These are the most important health benefits of the bitter melon:

• It cleanses and detoxifies the liver, relieves gout pain and stimulates blood circulation. 
• Goya juice increases the stability of yourimmune system and resistance of your body against infections.
• It stimulates food peristalsis and eases the digestionuntil the food is finally excreted through the bowel and out of the system.
• The bitter melon is rich in polypeptide-P, a phytonutrient which lowers blood sugar. Bitter melon also contains a special charantin, known to increase glycogen synthesis and glucose uptake in the liver, muscles, and adipose tissues. Both of them lower blood sugar, which is essential for patients with type-2 diabetes.
• It relieves the hangover, as it accelerates the metabolism, and at the same time, it nourishes and cleanses the liver after the consumption of alcohol.
• The regular consumption of its juice helps relieve psoriasisand fungal infections, such as Athlete’s feet and ringworms.
• It improves the eyesight and relieves the vision problem, as it is abundant in beta-carotene
• It is a source of folatewhich reduces the occurrence of neural tube defect in newborns.
• When consumed regularly, it boosts your stamina and energy level.